Apparatus for handling tubes



Aug. 23, 1938.- B. A. E. JOHNSON 2,127,974

' APPARATUS FOR' HANDLING TUBES I Filed April 18,1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Will lli I Aug. 23, 1938. JOHNSON 2,127,974

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING TUBES Filed April 18, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented Aug. 23, 1938 PATENT OFFICE 2,127,914 APPARATUS FOR HANDLINGTUBES Bror Anders Emil Johnson, Alsten, Sweden, as-

signor to Aktiebolaget Gerh. Arehns Mekaniska Verkstad, Stockholm,Sweden,

company of Sweden a joint-stock Application April 18, 1938, Serial No.202,735

. In Sweden April 19, 1937 9 Claims.

This invention relates to an apparatus for handling tubes of relativelysoft material, such as collapsible tubes for paste or the like, and itis an object of the invention to provide simple and efficient means forscrewing a cap tight to the tube, which means do not injure the tube anddo not require any particular development of the tube to obtain theresult aimed at.

Another object of the invention is to provide simple and efficient meansfor screwing a cap tight to a tube which previously has been placed in amachine in a correct angular position with respect to a print, label orother mark on the tube and without disturbing the said angular positionor without disarranging the tubes once put in order with respect to saidprint, label or the like.

Still another object of the invention is to provide simple and efficientmeans for screwing a cap tight to a tube on utilizing every rotarymovement of said means, for obtaining the result aimed at.

With these and other objects not specifically mentioned in view, theinvention consists in certain constructions and combinations which willbe hereinafter fully described and then specially set forth in theclaims hereunto appended.

In the .accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of an embodiment of the invention; v

Fig. 2 is a side elevational View partly in section of the embodimentillustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of part of the apparatus enclosed by atube, the latter being shown in longitudinal section; v

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional View of a part of the apparatus taken on theline IV-IV in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 illustrates partly in section a.modified part of the apparatus.

Referring to the drawings, an endless chain conveyor l is provided withvertical, open-ended pockets 2 for supporting tubes In. The chainconveyor l runs over sprocket wheels 3 which revolve stepwise, so thatthe conveyor I .at each movement advances one step in the direction ofthe arrow (Fig. 1), each step corresponding to the distance between thecentres of two adjacent pockets 2. Above the path of travel of thepockets 2 there is provided a rotary mandrel 4. Be-

. low the conveyor I opposite to the mandrel 4 is provided an elevatormember 6 having a hook 3| pivoted thereto .and adapted to grip the caps32 of the tubes. The hook is actuated by a spring (not shown) and coactswith an abutment 33 to open and close about the cap of the tube. The

mandrel 4 is provided with a tube driver I the end of which hassharp-edged wings 8. Conveniently the wings 8 taper, so that they can beintroduced into the neck 34 of the tube [0 as shown in Fig. 3. Thedriver 1 is axially displaceable but not rotatably mounted on a spindlell of the mandrel 4 and it is forced down by a spring 12 which may berelatively weak. The spindle II is rotatably journalled but axiallyimmovable in a bearing Si in the machine frame I3. The spindle is keyedto a gear wheel H! which meshes with a toothed rack l5. Therack 15 issecured to a rod 51 which is slidable longitudinally in a guide 54 andconnected to a link 16. The end 55 of the rack and a shoulder 56 on therod. 51 serve as abutments that limit the strokes of the rod 51. Thelink I6 is pivotally connected to another link 58 which is pivoted on. apin 59 to one arm ll of a double-armed lever the other arm 18 of whichcarries a roller I9 which is bya spring 20 pressed against the peripheryof a cam disc 22 keyed to a continuously rotatingdriving shaft 2|. Thelink 58 is yieldingly pivoted to the arm I! as it is held by two bladesprings 60 which yield when the abutments 55 and 56 strike against theends of the guide 54..

The member 6 is supported by a spindle "23,

which is by means of a link 24 connected to a lever 25. The-latter isprovided with a roller .26 which is by means of a spring 2'lpressedagainst a cam disc 28 keyed to the shaft 2|.

Furthermore, above the path'of travel of the conveyor pockets there maybe provided a device 29 for supplying filling material to the tube, a

mechanism 5 for sealing the tubes, and mechanisms 52 and 53 for stampingand printing the tubes.

In operation, empty tubes having caps 32 loosely screwed'thereto areplaced at 35 in a pocket 2 of the conveyor I. The tubes may be arrangedto be turned into correct angular positions by a device similar to thatdescribed in my Patent No. 2,104,485, but it is assumed by way ofexample that the operator places the tubes manually into the pockets incorrect angular positions with respect to a print, label or other markon the tube. When placed in the pockets 2 the tube ll) is moved stepwisein the direction of the arrow (Fig. 1) until it has obtained a positionbelow the mandrel 4. Then the elevator member 6 elevates the tube andputs it around the mandrel 4, so that the end of the driver 1 enters theneck of the tube and the edges of the wings 8 press against the bottomend thereof.

When the elevator member 6 ascends its hook 3| is released from theabutment 33 so that it grips the cap 32 of the tube. Simultaneously orpreferably after the wings 8 have been pressed against the bottom of thetube the mandrel 4 is caused to revolve through a predetermined angle or.a predetermined number of semi-revolutions or complete revolutionswhich is effected by swinging the lever l1, l8 thus moving the rack l5until the abutment 56 bears upon an end of the guide 54. Thereby thewings 8 drive the tube whilst the cap 32 is pressed against thesupporting member 6 which together with the hook 3| holds the cap 32, sothat the latter will be screwed tight to the tube. After the cap hasbeen screwed tight the tube is rotated further until the abutment 56strikes against the guide 54. On this continued rotation the cap willro-. tate upon the member 6, and the rotation is finished when the tubehas attained a predetermined angular position defined by the guide 54and abutment 56. Then the tube I0 is again moved down into the pocket 2under the drawing action of the hook 3| embracing the cap 32, .and atthe same time the mandrel 4 is swung back to its initial positiondefined by the abutment 55 bearing upon the other end of the guide 54,as shown in Fig. 2. The tube is thereafter moved by the conveyor I to afilling station 29 and further to a sealing mechanism 5 and to thestamping and printing mechanisms, and thereby the tube occupies apredetermined angular position in the pocket 2 with respect to a print,label or the like on said tube.

In Fig. 5 is illustrated another embodiment of the means for retainingthe cap 32 when the tube is rotated. The cap is polygonal and enclosedby a correspondingly shaped elevator member 6 the cavity 36 of which isof polygonal shape. The member 6 is rotatably mounted on the upper endof the rod 23. The rod 23 is enclosed by a spring 31 one end of which issecured to the rod 23. The upper end of the spring 31 is secured to theelevator member 6 Thereby, after the tube cap 32 has been screwed tight,the member 6 will against the action of the spring 3'! swing togetherwith the cap 32 when the rotation of the tube is continued.

Instead of rotating the tube as described above, means may be providedfor rotating the supporting member 6 or 6* whilst the tube is retainedimmovable by a non-rotatable mandrel 4 adapted to be inserted into thetube.

1. In an apparatus for handling tubes of relatively soft materialprovided with a threaded closure cap, the combination of a mandrelhaving an end provided with sharp portions, a member for supporting thetube by said cap, means for positioning said tube on said mandrel andpressing said sharp portions against a bottom of said tub-e, and'meansfor rotating said mandrel and said supporting member relative to oneanother to screw said cap to said tube.

2. In an apparatus for handling tubes of relatively soft materialprovided with a threaded closure cap, the combination of a mandrelhaving sharp-edged portions at its end, a member for supporting the tubeby said cap, means for positioning said tube on said mandrel andpressing said sharp-edged portions against a bottom of said tube, andmeans for rotating said mandrel and said supporting member relative toone another to screw said cap to said tube.

3. In an apparatus for handling tubes of relatively soft materialprovided with a threaded closure cap, the combination of a mandrelhaving sharp-edged wings at its end, a member for supporting the tube bysaid cap, means for positioning said tube on said mandrel and pressingsaid sharp-edged wings against a bottom of said tube, and means forrotating said mandrel and said supporting member relative to one anotherto screw said cap to said tube.

4. In an apparatus for handling tubes of a relatively soft materialprovided with a neck and a threaded closure cap on said neck, thecombination of a mandrel having a sharp-edged tapered end adapted to bepartly introduced into said neck; a member for supporting the tube bysaid cap, means for positioning said tube on said mandrel and pressingsaid sharp-edged end into said neck, and means for rotating said mandreland said supporting member relative to one another to screw said cap tosaid tube.

5. In an apparatus for handling tubes of a relatively soft materialprovided with a threaded closure cap, the combination of a mandrelhaving an end provided with sharp portions, a member for supporting thetube by said cap, means for positioning. said tube on said mandrel andpressing said sharp portions against a bottom of said tube, and meansfor rotating said mandrel and said supporting member relative to oneanother to screw said cap to said tube, said positioning means and saidrotating means being operably interconnected first to press said sharpportions against the bottom of the tube and thereafter to cause relativerotation through a predetermined angle.

6. In an apparatus for handling tubes of a relatively soft materialprovided with a marked portion and a threaded'closure cap, thecombination of a tube carrier, a station for positioning the tube tomake its marked portion assume a predetermined position relative to saidcarrier, a mandrel having an end provided with sharp portions, means formoving the tube from said station into position opposite to saidmandrel, a member for supporting the tube by said cap, means forpositioning said tube on said mandrel and pressing said sharp portionsagainst a bottom of said tube, and means for rotating said mandrel andsaid sup-porting member relative to one another to screw said cap tosaid tube, said positioning'means and said rotating means being operablyinterconnected first to press the sharpportions against the bottom ofthe tube and thereafter to cause relative rotation through apredetermined angle.

'7. In an apparatus for handling tubes of relatively soft materialprovided with a threaded closure cap, the combination of a mandrelhaving an end provided with sharp portions, a member for supporting thetube by said cap, means for positioning said tube on said mandrel andpressing said sharp portions against a bottom of said tube, and meansfor rotating said mandrel and said supporting member relative to oneanother to screw said cap to said tube, said supporting member beingadapted to permit with yielding resistance rotation of the tube caprelative to same.

8. In an apparatus for handling tubes of a relatively soft materialprovided with a threaded closure cap, the combination of a mandrelhaving an end provided with sharp portions, a member for supporting thetube by said cap, means for positioning said tube on said mandrel andpressing said sharp portions against a bottom of said tube, and meansforrotating said mandrel and said supporting member relative to oneanother to screw said cap to said tube, said positioning means and saidrotating means being operably interconnected first to press saidsharpportions against the bottom of the tube and thereafter to causerelative rotation through a predetermined angle, said supporting memberbeing adapted to permit with yielding resistance rotation of the tubecap relative to same.

9. In an apparatus for handling tubes of relatively soft materialprovided with a threaded closure cap, the combination of a mandrelhaving an end provided with sharp portions, a member for supporting thetube of said cap, an abutment, means for positioning the tube on saidmandrel and pressing said sharp portions against a bottom of said tube,and means for rotating said mandrel and said supporting member relativeto one another to screw said cap to said tube, said positioning meansand said rotating means being operably interconnected first to presssaid sharp portions against the bottom of the tube and thereafter tocause relative rotation through a predetermined angle defined by saidabutment.

BROR ANDERS EMIL JOHNSON.

